Tales of Xalthia

Chapter 9: City of Rivers

Tsuki and Lynette were escoted to the outpost just outside of Briswater thanks to the captain and his soldiers that came to assist them at the lake. It was a small little outpost that served as a gate entrance and as a place to easily dispatch soldiers out at a moments' notice. It was a rather simple outpost but it came with everything the soldiers would need: an infirmary, cafeteria, a command center, a training area and barracks for those stationed there. With the rampage of the Rhino quelled, the soldiers were able to breathe a sigh of relief. When they arrived at the outpost, Tsuki was still carrying Lynette on her back who had managed to get over her embarrassment from being carried.

Before going any further, they were brought to the infirmary so that they could rest up while the official healers that were stationed there tended to their injuries. Due to both of their injuries, the healers advised them to stay and rest for a while before proceeding onwards. Tsuki was still feeling sore from being kicked and sent crashing into a tree and Lynette was still feeling weakened from the paralysis and a shortage of Mana so they literally didn't have the energy to argue against them on that. So, they spent a few hours resting in the infirmary to recover their strength.

After about three hours of resting, they both felt that their strength had returned to them. They were still a little sore but were able to move around at the very least. Tsuki and Lynette had meet up in the courtyard once they had gotten their things together. Tsuki was the first to arrive and as he waited for Lynette to show up, he was approached by someone.

A man wearing an officer uniform, one that those of higher rank wore among the Briswater forces, approached Tsuki. "Excuse me but am I correct in assuming you're Tsuki Himura of the Royal Eight?" he asked. The man put his hand up to his heart and gave him a slight bow.

Tsuki looked over at the man and nodded. "That would be me. And you are?" he asked. He thought have recognized the man from somewhere but he wasn't able to figure out from where.

The man kept his slight bow. "My name is Frey Ladour. I work with General Maxwell as one of his top aides. We were told to expect you the other day but you never arrived so we grew a little concerned" he said as he introduced himself.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head with a nervous sweat. If they hadn't gotten distracted by the events at Prophet Castle, they should have already arrived. "I apologize for the late arrival. Things got a little complicated on my way here" he said.

Frey stood upright and shook his head. "We should be the ones apologizing to you for having you come out all this way just to get access into Basilwell. The General would have liked to meet with you halfway but things are complicated around here right now with the death of Saiyakas' president" he said.

Now that he was talking with an official working with Maxwell, Tsuki was hoping to see what he could learn from him. "What's been going on around here, if you don't mind me asking?" he asked.

Frey held his hand up to his chin, his eyes shifting towards the ground for a brief moment. "Well, for one thing, there's the matter of succession with Saiyaka. With the death of the president, there's a hole that needs to be filled and the transition isn't going as smoothly as we had hoped" he said.

Tsuki tilted his head. He was under the impression that Maxwell had things under control but it would seem that wasn't the case. "Is there not someone next in line for the position?" he asked.

Frey shook his head with a troubled expression. "No, there is. According to the late presidents' will, the position, and everything else he owns including his wealth and power, would be passed down to his daughter in the event of his death but that's where the issue is. His daughter is far too young to hold that position and many of the officials are against putting her in that seat. She's still just a child, after all so it would make sense that people would oppose it" he said. It's not like they can disobey the presidents' will. Everyone looked up to the late president. If his daughter was older, there would have been no issue but placing a child in that kind of position would be a detriment to not only Saiyaka as a whole but to his daughters' growth as well. The only person who had the power to appoint someone to take her place was the daughter.

Tsuki was confused. Sure, they had to respect the late presidents' will but there should be someone already in an established position to take charge in case something like this happens. "Wait, what happened with the Vice President? Why aren't they taking charge of it?" he asked.

Frey had a forlorn expression as he sighed heavily. "There is no Vice President. Not anymore, anyways" he said.

Tsuki was shocked to hear that there wasn't an acting president. "No...don't tell me..." he said. He felt his heart sank when he could think of the only other explanation.

Frey was silent for a good minute. His hands were clenched in fists. "It happened early this morning. The Vice President was doing an early inspection by the entrance of our mines when he was attacked. He didn't even have a chance to cast a single spell. Witnesses say they saw a suspicious individual wielding an axe leaving the area when one of the our miners discovered his body. Those witness reports eventually led our search out into the woods near the lake where they encountered the individual in question and well...I'm sure you can guess how that went" he said. Not only having to deal with the sudden death of the president but the vice president as well was like getting kicked while you were down on the ground, defenseless. The entire city is in an uproar as people feared for what would come next.

Tsuki couldn't believe it though a part of him wasn't surprised by this anymore. "If it weren't for the Silver Knight showing up when she did, there would have been more blood spilled" he said.

Frey nodded at him before reaching his arm out and placing his hand on his shoulder. "I've heard the report from the two survivors and if it wasn't for you, those two wouldn't have made it back with their report. For that, we owe you one" he said.

Not long after this, Lynette soon came out from the infirmary with her things. She was rubbing her eyes and looked like she was still half-asleep. She didn't even remember falling asleep. Last thing she remembered was that she was talking with Tsuki while laying on the infirmary bed during the night and next thing she knew, it was daylight and Tsuki had already left with his things. She let out a loud yawn as she walked up beside Tsuki, slightly bumping into him. "O-oh, sorry bout that and for being late" she said, yawning some more. Her Mana had recovered but her body still felt sluggish.

Tsuki couldn't help but chuckle a bit, seeing her in such an exhausted state. He couldn't blame her though. Not only were they pretty banged up and tired from their fight with Fenrir but it was also they had slept in a soft, warm bed in days. "Hey, you need to wake up. Otherwise, you won't be able to see the sights" he said, poking her on the forehead.

Lynette just wanted to go back to sleep. She didn't feel like wanting to do anything else. "Right..." she mumbled. She was acting like how a normal young adult would when they were forced to do something they didn't want to right up to her puffed out cheeks.

Frey couldn't help but be slightly amused by the side. The reports from the survivors had indicated that a young girl that accompanied Tsuki had provided them with healing and because of how friendly they were with each other, it was easy for him to deduce that she was that girl. Though, the reports he received from the Taichi and Emma made no mention of her or the fact that Tsuki was traveling with company. "So, who's the girl?" he asked. He didn't see anything wrong with the fact that she was with him. Actually, he was more curious than anything. Plus, she had apparently provided not only healing to the survivors but to an old man and a young girl of prominent standing.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry about her. I've been putting her through a lot over the last few days. This is my companion, Lynette Suzaki but she prefers to be called Lyn. She's a healer from Crescentia where I met her. Things led to another and she ended up wanting to accompany me. Her Healing Artes have saved me quite a few times" he said. Honestly, without having her with him and with everything they had encountered thus far since leaving Crescentia, he couldn't help but wonder what he would have done without her.

Lynette stretched her arms up over her head and clapped the sides of her face to help wake her up. After a moment, she looked towards Frey. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry if I seem tired to you" she said.

Frey shook his head at her, holding his hand up as if to stop her. "It's alright. Your healing saved some of ours. I understand that Healing Artes can be a bit exhausting to use especially since you have to manage all that during combat" he said.

Tsuki glanced at the two of them before clearing his throat. "Getting back to what we were talking about, is it possible to meet up with General Maxwell?" he asked.

Frey looked at him and nodded. "Yes. He is waitng for you at Saiyaka. We received word of your arrival so he sent me out to fetch you" he said. He then turned around and faced towards a large cave that had a path leading into it. "If you're ready, I'll show you the way" he said.

Tsuki nodded at him. "We're ready. I want to know more about what's happened here" he said. He was concerned where things were going and they weren't any closer to resolving the situation for the murders.

Lynette looked at Tsuki and tilted her head. She had noticed the forlorn look on his face. "Uh oh. Judging by that look, whatever it is can't be good. What happened now?" she asked.

Tsuki glanced over at Lynette and tapped her on the shoulder with his hand. "I'll fill you in as we go" he said. He took a deep breath and sighed and walked up to Frey. "Lead the way" he said.

Frey walked off through the cave with Tsuki and Lynette behind him as he began their escort. As they walked, Tsuki updated Lynette on what he had learned from Frey. Hearing about the death of the Vice President, much like with Tsuki, was both surprising and not surprising. More high ranking officials were turning up dead and the only clue they had was the individual that the soldiers and mages encountered in the forest. There was also the matter with the crystals that have been appearing more regularly. The high-class deaths and the sudden and increasting rate of appearance of these strange, evil-powered crystals felt like a bad omen. It was like the build-up for the main event that was taking place in the shadows and whatever it was would put many people at risk. These were dark thoughts that lingered in the minds of Tsuki and Lynette.

Their walk through the cave was short as they soon reached the other side as it opened up to the outside. Upon stepping outside, they were greeted to a sight that looked like something straight out of a fantasy book. A complex city with buildings that stretched into the air, both big and small. The city was pretty advanced, magically. The city had a modern look to it while also keeping that rustic vibe of Cayhill. The city itself was built on pieces of land that were divided by rivers and connected by bridges. Boats were the fastest way to travel around the big city as they were equipped with a motor that's powered by Water Artes. The rivers themselves weren't all that deep due to the supporting land that was formed underneath the city as its foundation so people would sometimes swim in them.

They approached a nearby pier where a large boat that seated up to 5 people was docked. To go any further, they would need to travel by boat. They piled into the boat and as Frey placed his hand on the motor, a small magic circle appeared on the top of it. Frey guided the boat out onto the water and then the Water Artes that channeled through the motor itself from the magic circle activated. The boat was gently propelled through the river as they left the outpose and entered the main part of the city.

Seeing as how they honored guests, Frey took them along the sceneic route through the city. They went through various rivers and canals and scoped out the city. Tsuki had read up on Briswater so he had some idea what to expect but everything he read didn't even come close to doing the city justice. As for Lynette, she was overwhelmed with a mixture of different feelings. Excitement, happiness, anxiety, etc. You could see just how excited she was by the obvious look in her eyes. They sparkled brightly as if she was meeting her idol for the first time. They probably spent a good hour and a half riding through the city.

Frey was in charge of handling the motor which meant guiding the boat as it was propelled through the water and making sure that the motor itself operated smoothly. As he was guiding the boat, he glanced over at Lynette who was practically leaning off the side of the boat. Seeing her so excited brought a smile to his face. "So, how do you like it so far?" he asked.

Lynette was taking in every sight she saw. From the buildings and different streets to the rivers and canals. There was so much she wanted to see and part of her wanted to jump right ouf of the boat onto land and take off running. "This is amazing! It's like I stepped into my favorite fantasy novel!" she squealed with excitement. She quickly turned her head at Tsuki, her eyes sparkling brightly. "I want to explore!" she said.

Tsuki laughed a bit with a nervous sweat. He's seen a few different sides to Lynette but this was the first time he saw her so filled with excitement. It kind of threw him off a little. He had almost forgot that she was a seventeen year old girl so it was perfectly natural to act like one. "We can explore after we meet up with General Maxwell" he said.

Lynette gave Tsuki look a pouting child would give their parents with her cheeks puffed out. "Aw but I want to explore now. Can't he wait a little bit longer?" she asked.

Tsuki scratched his cheek with his finger as he laughed nervously as his nervous sweat grew in intensity. It was such a sudden change to her normal behavior that he didn't know what to say. "W-well, I don't think that he would appreciate us blowing him off when he's waiting..." he said.

Frey couldn't help but let out a laugh. It was like a sister trying to get her brother to do something after he said he wouldn't. "Don't worry. There will be plenty of time for exploration. Besides, we need to get Tsuki outfitted with a new sword before you can leave anyway" he said

The boat continued to be guided along the rivers as they passed through the city. They saw glimpses of the business, residential and what appeared to be a recreational district. People ran along the streets and bridges, living carefree lives as others worked around the various types of businesses. Soldiers were seen patrolling certain parts of the city and were actively engaging with the citizens. Eventually, their boat ride came to an end when Frey docked it at one of the piers. They had arrived at their destination though the sight that greeted them wasn't something that Tsuki or Lynette expected.

Frey stepped off the boat once he secured it to the dock and approached a set of stairs leading up towards the institute in front of them. "Welcome, my friends, to the Saiyaka Magic Research Facility. The place where magic is taught and learned and advancements are made" he said with his arms spread out in a welcoming gesture.

Tsuki was a bit speechless. He had never seen what Saiyaka looked like with his own eyes so he only had what he read about to go on. In his mind, he was expecting some high-profile governmental building with soldiers and scientists. What he was seeing in front of him was not that. Far from it. "Is...this really Saiyaka? It's...not quite what I pictured it to be" he said.

Lynette scratched her cheek with her finger with a bit of a nervous sweat. "Yeah...no kidding" she said.

The sight they were seeing was, indeed, not a government building. The Saiyaka that they had been so curious about and anxious to see was actually a school on a grand scale. From the docks, they could see what appeared to be various students walking by and sitting around, chatting amongst themselves. They could even see professors and instructors among the crowd of students. There were students of all ages within the same school as Saiyaka supported hosted all grade levels of education. The males wore a black coat with the pockets and collars lined with white amd a green school patch on the left side of it, a plain white long-sleeve shirt, different colored ties that were used to distinguish what grade people were in, long grey pants and brown shoes. The females wore a black sailor suit with white laces, different colored neckerchiefs to distinguish the grade much like with the ties the males wear, black thigh socks and brown shoes.

The three of them walked up the small set of stairs and were given the full view of Saiyaka. It was a massive school that looked more like a university with a grand outdoor courtyard. The school itself was comprised of several different buildings. There were two main buildings that housed every grade level, one on the north side of the courtyard that handled junior high and high school students while the other off on the west side of the courtyard handled kindergarten and elementary students. The cafeteria was off on the east side alonng with an auditorium. Sitting between the two main buildings in the northeast corner of the courtyard was the club building where various clubs of the school would gather. These buildings were connected by walkways with overhangs. Behind the northern main building was a separate building used for magic research and development with an outdoor testing field. The gym and track were located off in the northwest corner of the school.

Tsuki looked around and after getting over his pre-conceived notions of what he thought what Saiyaka looked like, he was actually impressed. "I can't believe this is all just one school. This doesn't even look like a research facility. Talk about going over the top" he said.

Frey chuckled a bit after seeing his reaction. "When this place was first founded, that was suppose to be the intent but things ended up changing once the late President took charge and reformed it completely. Now, it's a school for all ages. We're currently in the works of rebranding but until it's official, people usually refer to this place as the Saiyaka Magic Institute" he said.

As they took in the view of the school, Tsuki and Lynette felt a lot of gazes being directed at them. Frey was a normal sight but Tsuki and Lynette stuck out like a sore thumb. From Tsukis' slightly banged up Royal Eight armor to Lynettes' mage clothing and staff on her back. They were attracting a lot of attention to themselves just by standing around. They could even hear some people whispering to their friends and classmates about them though they weren't able to hear what was being whispered exactly.

Tsuki laughed nervously with a nervous sweat as he tried his best to ignore the stares but it was difficult. "If these stares keep up, I feel like I'm going to look like swiss cheese after this is all over..." he said.

Frey chuckled a bit. "Well, you two are pretty out of place after all, Tsuki in particular. It's not often Saiyaka receives visitors that are representatives of the royal family" he said.

Tsuki finished looking around and turned his head towards Frey. "You said General Maxwell is here, right? Does he help out as an instructor on the side with his work?" he asked.

Frey nodded a bit, holding his finger up. "Correct. He isn't just one of Briswaters' Generals but he is also the Head Instructor in our Field Magic Division. He oversees live testing for new advancements and various other things and had the trust of the late President. Until a successor can be probably put in place, he's trying to keep things together" he said.

Lynette folded her arms in front of her as she gazed out at the northern building. "So, he's a General, Head Instructor and a temporary Acting President. Isn't that a bit much for one person to handle?" she asked. Three different positions each having their own different work and set of skills. It made her curious to see who Maxwell was if he could handle a workload like that.

Frey shrugged. "I said the same thing and all he said was that someone had to do it. I think he just got bored sitting around all day and wanted to put himself to work" he said. He soon sighed, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head. "Anyway, the longer we stand around here, the more of a crowd we'll draw. Gen-I mean, Instructor Maxwell is waiting for you in his office in the northern building. If you would follow me..." he said.

Frey began escorting Tsuki and Lynette onto Saiyakas' school grounds. As they walked, the looks they received continued as people whispered and gossiped on what their purpose could be for being there. Most speculated that it involved the deaths of both the President and Vice President. Others were talking about Tsuki and Lynette. Some of the males kept eyeing Lynette and talking about her among their other fellow male classmates while some of the females eyed Tsuki. They tried their best to ignore it all but it was hard. Both of them felt like transfer students who were famous idols and attracted the attention of the entire student body.

They eventually crossed the courtyard and soon entered the northern building where these stares and talks would persist. Students would stand along the hallways while others peered out from classroom doors and windows. Even some of the professors and instructors couldn't help but be curious to see what the commotion was going on. Their presence had practically disturbed the entire school as the word of their arrival quickly spread. Sometimes, they would stop and talk to some of the students and teachers but they tried to keep the talks short otherwise they wouldn't ever be able to et out of them. Finally, after 20 minutes since their initial arrival at the school, they arrived at General Maxwells' office, located on the first floor next to the faculty rooms.

Frey took a deep breath before knocking on the door. "General, our guests have arrived" he said.

After a moment, a deep male voice came from the other side of the door. "Ah, finally. I was beginning to think they would never show up. Come on in" he said.

The door to the office opened up and Tsuki, Lynette and Frey stepped inside. Frey closed the door behind them and stood in front of it as Tsuki and Lynette approached the center of the room. It was lined with bookshelves with a silver and red axe mounted on the wall. Next to that was a Generals' outfit of Briswater with medals and ribbons attached to it. There were two small sofas with a coffee table between them and in the center of the room was a carpet that was designed to look like a magic circle. There was a window on the far side of the room with a curved, wooden desk that had various types of paperwork, books and other things on top of it. On the other side of the desk was a man who had muscles as if they were on an intense training regime. He had long, spikey brown hair with a scar going across his left cheek. He had dark brown eyes and appeared to be in his thirties, wearing a suit of similar design to that of the male uniforms.

The man was standing behind his desk as they entered the room. "Welcome to Briswater. I would like to say that I hope your trip here was uneventful but considering how late you are and the reports we received from the outpost, it was anything but that" he said. He then walked around his desk and stood in front of it, giving them a slight bow. "Before I get into the introductions, I would like to greatly apologize to you for this major inconvenience. I realize that this must have put a lot of stress on you" he said.

Tsuki shook his head, waving his arms in front of him. "Don't worry too much about it. Honestly, I'm thankful that I had to go out of my way to come here. There were some things that I wouldn't have been able to do if I hadn't" he said. He had referred to the events that took place at Prophet Castle because if he had not been redirected to Briswater, he would have continued to Basilwell where he would have most likely been turned away and forced to backtrack a great distance. If that happened, he wouldn't have been able to save Nagi or the other captives at Prophet Castle nor would he have been able to travel with Lynette.

The man stood upright and nodded at him. "The name's Lucas Maxwell. As I'm sure Frey has informed you, I'm currently overseeing matters here in Saiyaka until things settle down" he said. He then walked over to the two sofas and sat down on one of them and motioned for Tsuki and Lynette to join them. "Come, have a seat" he said. He then looked over at Frey, who was still standing by at the door. "If it's not too much trouble, could I ask you to handle things while we have our talk?" he asked.

Frey nodded at him. "Certainly. Take as long as you need. I'll be out walking around the school grounds" he said. He then opened the door back up and left, closing it behind him.

Once Frey left, Tsuki and Lynette walked over to the set out sofas and sat down on the one across from the one that Lucas was sitting at. There was a brief silence that filled the room.

Lucas waited until Frey left before looking back towards Tsuki and Lynette. Before they got into the main discussion, he was curious to know what had been happening. More specifically, he was curious as to why Lynette was with him as he had been informed that Tsuki was traveling alone. "Let's do a bit of information exchange. First off, I would like to know what know what's been happening since you departed from Eresseas. I was under the impression that you were traveling alone but based on the fact that you have a lovely young lady accompanying you and your earlier comment, I'm a bit curious to know what's been going on that led to your late arrival" he said, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

Tsuki nodded at him. It was only fair to provide information to him in exchange for learning more about what's been going on. "Well..." he said.

Tsuki began explaining to Lucas about everything that happened since he left Eresseas. His arrival in Crescentia, the prisoner exchange, his and Reia's expedition to Crescent Hills which ultimately led to Lynettes' joining, the events at Prophet Castle and what took place in the forests around Briswater as well as the crystals and strange activity they've been coming across. He tried to keep his explanation as short as possible as he didn't want to take up too much time explaining it all in full detail.

After about almost 45 minutes of explaining everything to him as short but detailed as possible, Lucas managed to form the full picture in his head. He sat back in the sofa with one leg cross over the other and his arms folded in front of him. "That sounds like quite the adventure. I can see now why your arrival was so late" he said.

Tsuki nodded. "What about you? You've been investigating the murder of the late President, right? Have you learned anything new?" he asked.

Lucas shook his head with a sigh. "Unfortunately, we've made little progress on that front. For some reason, there seems to be a bit of a communication problem going on with some of the soldiers I have placed down there. Sadly, I haven't been able to address that issue as of yet because of my already heavy workload" he said. He closed his eyes and seemingly fell into thought for a few moments.

Tsuki sighed with a disappointed look on his face. He was hoping that they would have more information to work with by now. "So, we're still sitting in the dark of what's going on..." he said.

Lucas opened his eyes once more and reached over to grab a folder that was sitting on a nearby table. "While we haven't made much progress on his murder, we have learned some things about the other high-ranking officials that were also killed" he said. He placed the folder on the table for him to look at.

Tsuki reached down and picked up the folder. He opened it and inside were five documents, each having a picture of the person each document was tied to. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the pictures of the individuals who were killed. "Wait a minute...these pictures..." he said.

Lucas nodded slowly at him. "So, you picked up on it too. Yes, it's as you think it is. Those high-ranking officials weren't just people with a title over their heads. They were incredibly skilled and powerful fighters, both physically and magically and all pretty well-known for their abilities. They weren't people that would allow themselves to be killed very easily. Adding the death of the late President onto that list of names made it very clear that we weren't dealing with an average killer. Then, there was the more recent death of the Vice President, who was skilled in his own right and was killed before he even got a single spell off" he said. Every person that had been killed had some form of recognition to their name and as the body count continued to pile up, the dots were slowly being connected. "In short, whoever is pulling off all these killiings are targeting some of Cayhills' best for reasons we can't confirm" he said. There was one strong possibility but it was something he didn't want to consider.

Lynette leaned back in the sofa with her hand held up against her chin. "Could it be...signs of an impending invasion?" she asked.

Dread filled the air once the word invasion came out. Cayhill was a small, peaceful kingdom that didn't get involved with the other kingdoms. They remained completely neutral and chose not to involve themselves. A kingdom of their size wouldn't be able to hold their own against other kingdoms such as Honegroth in Menorion or Esseand in Ersheath.

Tsuki didn't like entertaining the thought of an impending invasion but whoever was behind all this were targeting Cayhills' best fighters. It would make perfect sense to eliminate any big players from the field before the main force arrives. That way, their fighting power will have greatly diminished. "I sincerely hope that isn't the case" he said. He then glanced up at Lucas. "Has the King and Queen been informed of all this?" he asked. They never specifically said anything about the identities of the high-ranking officials when he was first given his mission.

Lucas nodded. "Naturally. With a possible risk for an impending invasion, this was something that can't be withheld. They assured that they will do everything possible to minimize the knowledge of these events as we try to ascertain more information. No need to cause panic and worry when we haven't been able to confirm anything" he said. If the risk of invasion were to leak to the public, there would be mass panic and widespread fear.

Lynette was relieved to know that they were trying to keep a lid on things regarding the murders. Hopefully, they'll be able to find out more information in Basilwell, where this all started. "Do you happen to know anything about these strange, evil-like crystals?" she asked. Seeing as how there was a mining operation in Briswater, she thought that maybe they might have came from there.

Lucas glanced over at Lynette for a moment. He then stood up and walked over to a cabinet, opening it up and pulled a black box out of it that was secured with a pretty strong magic lock. He brought it over to the table between the sofas and removed the magic lock before opening it. Inside the box was a purple crystal, the same kind that Tsuki and Lynette have been encountering. "We know very little about them. Like you said in your earlier explanation of events, they house a great evil inside them. Saiyakas' experts did their best to evaluate the nature of these crystals but they due to the volatile nature of the crystals and the energy within them, they were pretty limited in what they can do. We had one explode on us but thankfully that was out in the testing fields so we avoided any major injury" he said.

Tsuki could feel the power coming from the crystal. It was definitely the same crystal they he's seen before. "Where did you find this?" he asked.

Lucas soon closed the box and sealed it back up with the magic lock. "One of our miners found it while excavating in the mines. The late President took it in his possession so that he could analyze it. Sadly, he never got the chance to do so" he said.

Lynette rubbed hier chin with her hand. "Have these crystals been found in the mines before?" she asked.

Lucas shook his head. "No, this was the first time. We've been expanding our mining operations over the last few weeks and one of the miners discovered a new vein of minerals. This led them to the discovery of several of these crystals" he said.

Tsuki almost jumped out from his seat. "Wait, you mean there's more of these in the mines?" he asked. He was concerned that they were somehow getting out and ending up in the wrong hands.

Lucas nodded. "If you're worried about them being removed from the mines, don't be. Once we knew of the dangers these crystals possessed, we sealed off the area where they were found. The area remains sealed so any new sightings of these crystals aren't related" he said.

Tsuki leaned forward, placing his elbow on his knee with his right hand pressed up against his face. "So much for that, I guess" he said.

Lynette glanced over at Tsuki for a moment before shifting her eyes towards Lucas. "Is there anything else that you can possibly share with us?" she asked.

Lucas rubbed his chin and fell silent for a moment before answering her. "I don't have any new information to share right now but I hired a mercenary the other day to do some investigating in my stead. Apparently, he uncovered something and is suppose to be returning tomorrow. If you guys would like, I can include you in that discussion" he said.

Tsuki looked up at Lucas and nodded. "That would be great. Any information we can dig up will be a step closer to figuring out what's going on around here" he said. He wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to learn fresh, new information.

Lucas nodded. "Sounds like a plan then" he said. He then stood up and walked over to his desk. He grabbed a small, silver-played object and walked back over to the sofas, standing next to whre Tsuki was sitting and held his hand out. "Before I forget, take this seal. With that, you should have no issues getting into the areas we had closed off" he said.

Tsuki reached up and took the silver-played seal and placed it in his bag. "Thanks" he said. He then stood up and stretched a bit. "Well, I guess we're on standby until tomrrow. That gives us some free time to explore the city and find a place to crash" he said.

Lucas stepped back over to his desk once he had given Tsuki the seal. By this point, the evening hours were just starting. "As eager as I'm sure you two are to explore, why not save it for tomorrow when you've had some rest? From what I understand, you two took quite the beating against that Rhino. Even though you had some time to rest at the outpost, your bodies could use the proper rest" he said.

Lynette wanted to explore the city. She wanted to see the sights. She was excited for what wonders Briswater had for her. However, she understood where he was coming from. Their injuries had pretty much healed up but their bodies were still a little sore. "I guess you have a point. Then, I suppose we'll find an inn to stay in" she said.

Lucas grabbed some of his things off his desk and approached the door. "I'll show you the way to the inn. It's not too far from here" he said.

They left the office and made their way back down the hallway towards the main entrance to the building. Most of the students had already left for their homes or were in the process of leaving. There was still excitement in the air with the students because of Tsuki and Lynettes' presence though things seemed to have calmed down. The only students that were left on campus were those coming out of of their clubs or from study sessions.

As they walked, they talked amongst themselves about other things unrelated to the discussion they were having before to try and lighten the mood. They even stopped to talk to some of the few students hanging around that had stopped them. Eventually, they soon walked out of the building and made their way across the courtyard. They saw that some of the junior high and high school students were either picking up siblings or waiting for them near the eastern main building. Once they reached the center of the courtyard, they heard a voice call out.

A young female voice called out to them with sounds of running footsteps against the pavement. "Hey, hold on a minute! Please wait!" the voice shouted.

They stopped walking and looked in the direction of where the voice was coming from. They saw a young girl with long, braided violet hair and azure blue eyes. Tsuki didn't recognize the girl but Lynette definitely did.

Lynette was surprised to see the young girl again and was thrilled to see her looking none worse for the wear. "Ah, you're the girl from the lake!" she said. She got down on one knee so that she was close to being at eye level with her.

The girl ran up to Lynette and threw herself at her in a hug. "You're safe! I was worried about you!" she said.

Accompanying the young girl was the same older man in a butler suit from before. He approached them and stood beside the girl. "I apologize, Miss. She's just been wanting to see you again. It's a relief to see you again unharmed" he said.

Lynette held onto the girl, patting her on the head as she looked up at the older gentleman. "You're looking a lot better. How are you feeling?" she asked. She was relieved to see that the two of them again. She knew that they had made it back to the city but seeing them with her eyes makes her happy.

The old man patted himself on the chest. "These old bones of mine are pretty tough. I still feel a little sore though" he said. He then looked over Lynette for a moment. "We received word that two people were brought back with the squad of soldiers from the lake under the pretenses of being "beaten up" so My Lady was concerned" he said.

The girls' face turned red from embarrassment as she backed away from Lynette and looked up at the gentleman, looking flustered. "H-hey, you didn't need to tell them that!" she said.

Tsuki watched them as they interacted. Since Tsuki had his hands full keeping the Rhinos' attention, he never got a chance to talk to them or get a good look at them. "Well, we all made it back safely so let's count ourselves lucky" he said. He then placed his hand up to his chest and gave them a slight bow. "Allow me to introduce ourselves: I'm Tsuki Himura. I serve under the royal family as one of the Royal Eight. This here is my friend and companion, Lynette Suzaki. She's a healer from Crescentia" he said as he introduced them

The older gentleman returned the bow to him. "Ah so you are who I thought you were. My name is Amir Robbil and this young lady is Rhym Argent. As you can see, I serve as her butler" he said.

Lynette tilted her head a bit when she heard the girls' family name. "Argent...wait, wasn't that the late Presidents' family name?" she asked.

Amir nodded at her. "Indeed it is. She is the only daughter of the late President, Azrael Argent and sole heir to his position as the new President of Saiyaka. Though, right now, she remains a student. While she bears the title of President by his will, it hasn't been made official yet" he said. She was far too young to bear that level of responsibility. Not only that but she was still actively attending the school as a student.

Rhym looked down towards the ground and kicked it with her right foot, her arms behind her back. "I want to carry on my fathers' legacy but I can't. I'm just not ready for it" she said.

Lucas shook his head at her. "Nor should you be. You're still a growing child and bearing that level of responsibility will certainly have a negative impact which is why I'm working on finding someone to serve you as an advisor to make official decisions until you're ready. Decisions with your and my approval, of course" he said.

Tsuki glanced over at Lucas, folding his arms in front of him. "Will that work? I heard that officials were split on the decision of what to do" he said.

Lucas nodded, holding a finger up in the air. "Everyone in Saiyaka, both former and current colleagues, as well as the student body as a whole all hold Azrael in high regards. If it weren't for him, Saiyaka wouldn't have seen the amount of success it has seen. There's not a soul here who would be opposed to the wishes he made in his will" he said. He brought down his hand and looked around the courtyard. He watched as teachers and students were in the process of leaving campus, happily tailking among their own little crowds and friends. "Everyone has the good of Saiyaka in their minds and hearts and they all adore Rhym so it's not a matter of who she is as a person. It's just that not everyone is keen on the idea of a seven year old, who is still an active student, taking that seat. So, I pitched the idea of making someone a temporary advisor to make official decisions with the approvals of me and Rhym as people seemed to approve of that" he said.

Tsuki fell into thought for a moment. What he said made perfect sense, having a two-step approval system in place. "I see. Even though Rhym isn't officially taking that seat as of yet, she still holds power over it so it would make sense that part of the final decision would lie with her. However, people are unsure if she's mentally prepared to approve those decisions. By putting yourself in the approval process, being as well-regarded as you are, it would make the people feel more at ease" he said.

Lucas nodded. "Exactly. I've helped out Azrael more times than I can even count in the past so I'm well-versed with how things are handled in Saiyaka" he said. He was glad that his past experiences can be put into use in Saiyakas' greatest time in need.

Rhym was silent as they all talked about the successor issue of Saiyaka. She didn't know anything else she could add to the discussion. Once the talks started to wind down, she opted to change the subject. "So, what are you guys up to now?" she asked.

Lynette stood back up and pointed to Lucas. "The good instructor here was just taking us to the inn since we need a place to stay for the night" she said.

Rhyms' eyes brightened up as she looked up at Amir before giving him a quick nod. "Why don't you guys stay with us!? We have plenty of room plus my house is just across the bridge over there!" she said with excitement. She pointed off towards the east where most of the remaining students were talking.

Lucas thought that was a great idea. They would be pretty close to Saiyaka so they would be able to meet up a lot easier when his hired mercenary returned. "That sounds like a great idea. What do you two think?" he asked.

Tsuki scratched the back of his head. So long as they had something over their heads and something to sleep on, he won't complain. He looked over at Lynette who nodded at him. "That's fine with us but is that really alright?" he asked.

Amir nodded at him, putting his hand up to his chest. "We would be honored to welcome you in. You saved us after all, so let us return the favor by helping you out" he said. His eyes shifted down towards Rhym. "Ever since she lost her father, she's been rather lonely. She and her father were pretty close to each other. She still has her mother and friends to support her but it hasn't been easy for anyone to cope with their loss and she took it pretty hard" he said. Her interaction with Lynette was the first time he had seen her so excited since the death of her father. "Perhaps she sees something in you that draws her to you" he added.

Tsuki shrugged. He didn't really do anything particularly special for her. All he did was provoke the danger away from her. "Must have been because of Lyns' influence. They're both mages so they share something in common" he said.

Amir shook his head. "Regardless of what it is, she's perked herself up and so it's not a problem at all for us. Besides, I'm sure that her mother would be just as thrilled to welcome the people that saved her daughter and butler" he said.

With an argument like what he gave, it was pretty hard for them to refuse. After thinking about it for a moment, Tsuki nodded at them. "Well, we'll take you up on your offer then. We appreciate it" he said.

Rhym jumped a bit with excitement when they said that they would accept their offer. "Really!? Yay!" she shouted gleefully. She soon grabbed onto Lynettes' arm and lightly tugged at her as she couldn't contain herself.

Lucas watched at they agreed on their place of stay for the night and nodded. "Sounds like I can leave them in your hands then, Amir. With that said, I suppose I'll be going then. Take some time tomorrow and explore the city. My mercenary won't be returning until sometime in the afternoon so once he arrives, I'll send word out to the house" he said.

Tsuki looked over at Lucas and nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate the help" he said.

Lucas turned around and faced the direction of the dock, putting his left hand up in the air. "Don't mention it" he said. He took a few steps towards the docks but soon stopped as he just remembered something. His head turned back to look at Tsuki. "Oh, I also forgot to mention. I noticed that you didn't have a weapon on you" he said.

Tsuki looked down at his hip, taking note of the empty sheath of where his sword used to be stored in. "Yeah...the blade kind of broke off when I ended up hitting the Rhinos' adamantite shell" he said.

Lucas gazed down at the empty sheath then back up at Tsuki. "Leave that little problem to me. I'll get our blacksmiths to forge you a new sword that will put your old one to shame" he said.

Tsuki waved his arms in front of him. "N-no, that's alright. You don't have to do that. I can just buy another from the shops" he said.

Tsuki had been using that sword ever since he became a knight. It was pretty old and outdated but he maintained it like it was his most cherished possession. He had mended all of its wear and tear, keeping it as fit for combat as any other weapon. The sword didn't quite fit him well as it was a pretty standard-issue sword but he adapted to it and grew comfortable with it. Much like how it is with archers and finding the proper bow to go with their size and overall build, the same concept applied to just about every other weapon choice for each individual.

Lucas shook his head. "But I want to. Trust me when I say that our blacksmiths put in their best when given the right motivation. Take it as a sign of my gratitude as well as another form of apology for having you come out all this way" he said. Before they could argue against him anymore, he waved at them and continued on walking towards the docks.

After Lucas left, Lynette couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh when he made a certain comment. "When given the right motivation, huh? I wonder what he meant by that" she said. She glanced over at Tsuki who had a similar expression. "Well, that solves your weapon problem at least" she said.

Tsuki sighed, dropping his arms as he hunched over a bit. "I suppose so" he said.

Amir stepped forward, heading off towards the east. "Well then, it's starting to get late. Shall we go?" he asked.

Tsuki stood upright and looked over at Amir, giving him a nod. "Lead the way" he said.

With Amir guided them, they started to walk off towards the east in the direction where the other students were walking in. Rhym was holding onto Lynettes' hand as they walked along the stone landings and pathways, talking amongst themselves. The lights along the streets started to come on as the evening hours were kicking in. The lights reflected off the still waters of the rivers. Since this was the first time they were actually able to walk through the streets and across the various bridges, they were able to see more of the city that they couldn't see from the boat. The streets were lively with people as the city was bustling with life. People were going in and out of cafes, casinos and bars, students were hanging out with friends at nearby game stores and adults were coming of their work. Based on what they've been seeing, Briswater had quite the nightlife to it.

After about 45 minutes of walking along scenic routes, they arrived in front of a large house that was fenced in and secured with a gate. It was a rather small mansion in comparison to Saiyaka and even had its own little garden out front, lined with grass hedges. There was a grand fountain in the center of the garden and the garden itself was full of flowers. Looking at the garden reminded Tsuki a little bit about the garden at the castle. It wasn't as majestic looking but it was pretty close. They stood at the front gates for a few minutes while Tsuki and Lynette took in the sight.

Lynette scratched her cheek with her finger as she gazed out into the garden. "Well, this is the President of Saiyakas' estate. I shouldn't have expected anything simple" she said.

Amir had a nervous sweat as he looked over at Lynette. "The President liked to live in style although I did share my concerns" he said. He thern stepped forward and stood off to the side, lifting his left arm up and pointing it in the direction of the house. "Welcome to the Argent Estate" he said.

They walked on through the gates, crossing the garden and courtyard until eventually they reached the front door. Amir opened up the doors and they were greeted to a grand foyer of decent size with an equallty grand staircase in the center leading up to the second floor that split off into two separate wings. The floors were of polished granite so much so that you could almost see your reflection with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling over the foyer. There were small busts sitting on columns at the bottom of the staircase with paintings of various landscapes along the walls. Just about every piece of furniture and decoration piece looked very expensive.

Rhym stepped into the foyer and spun around to face them, holding her hands behind her back. "Welcome to my home!" she said. Her voice could almost echo throughout the mansion if she shouted any louder.

Lynette was taken aback by the sight. The only buildings she's ever seen were simple houses, cottages and inns so seeing what Saiyaka looked like was pretty shocking enough. Being that this was the first time she stepped foot into such a grand, spacious house that looked like something completely foreign to her, she felt a bit overwhelmed. "W-wow, this place sure is big. Everything looks so nice too. It's like I shouldn't even breathe in here at the risk of ruining something" she said.

Tsuki had a nervous laugh and sweat when he heard her comment. Seeing as how he was used to this kind of enviornment with being at the castle on a regular basis, he wasn't all that surprised by the mansion. In fact, he was practically the opposite of Lynette in the sense that he is almost surprised at how simple other peoples' lifestyles are outside of Eresseas. He hadn't lived in that lifestyle since Tomoha was razed so he practically forgot what it felt like. "I think that's a bit of an exaggeration" he said.

Amir scratched the back of his head as they discussed the overall design and decor of the mansion. He could relate to what they were saying. "I hate to admit it but you're not wrong. It wasn't my place to judge though" he said.

Moments later, a womans' voice called out from the second floor. They looked up towards where the voice came from and they saw a woman with long, wavy violet hair that went down past her shoulders with blue eyes. She was wearing a casual, yet expensive-looking dress with earrings. The woman appeared to be in her late thirties as she looked down at them from the balcony she stood on.

The woman had her hand up on the railing as she looked down into the foyer. "Welcome home. Did everything go okay with your teachers?" she asked, directing her question towards Rhym.

Rhym nodded. "They were pretty worried but once they saw me, they were able to relax" she said.

The woman nodded at her. "That's good" she said. Her gaze shifted over to Tsuki and Lynette afterwards. It took her a moment to recognize Tsukis' armor. "That armor...the Royal Eight?" she asked. She then walked around the balcony where she was standing and walked down the carpet staircase until she was down on the first floor in the foyer. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Sir Knight?" she asked, bowing at him.

Amir held his hand out towards Tsuki in a welcoming gesture. "My Lady, this is Tsuki Himura and his companion, Lynette Suzaki. These were the ones that came to our aid by the lake earlier in the day" he said.

The womans' eyes widened as she gave Tsuki and Lynette another look. "They are!?" she asked.

Tsuki nodded at her. "They were in a bit of a bind so it's not like we could just ignore what was happening" he said.

The woman bowed to them briefly once more. "Thank you so much for saving my daughter and butler. After the loss of my husband, the only family I have left is her and our maids and butlers" she said. She then stood upright and placed her hand over her chest. "My name is Rose Argent. It's an honor to meet you" she said.

Rhym walked up to her mother and and tugged at her dress. "Mama, they need a place to stay for the night so I suggested that they could come here. Is that okay? We have plenty of room and I wanted to repay them for saving us" she said.

Rose looked down towards Rhym and then back up at Tsuki who nodded at her. "Hmm...it would be nice to have some guests. We haven't had any for a while. Sure, why not? It will give us some time to talk, after all" she said.

Tsuki nodded at her. "So long as it is okay with you" he said. He wanted to make sure that she was okay with the idea. Having two random strangers stay the night at someones' mansion would probably raise a lot of questions and cause people to be nervous.

Rose nodded once more. "You're honored guests. You're more than welcome here anytime" she said. She then looked over at Amir. "Would you be able to make a trip to the kitchen and inform the chef to make enough food for two more people?" she asked.

Amir bowed to her. "As you wish, My Lady. If you'll excuse me..." he said. He then turned and started to walk down one of the corridors and entered through one of the rooms down its hallway.

Tsuki waved his hands out in front of him. "Oh no, you don't have to do that. You've already done so much" he said. He didn't want to take advantage of her kindness and generosity.

Rose held her hand up as if to stop him. "I'll hear none of that. As I said, you're honored guests so please allow me to treat you as such. It's the least I can do" she said.

Lynette looked at Tsuki and tapped his arm with her elbow. "Let's just accept it. I'm feeling pretty hungry anyways" she said.

Tsuki sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Alright. Then, once again, I appreciate all that you're doing for us" he said.

Rose giggled a bit and turned to face down the same corridor that Amir walked off to. "I'll show you the way to the dining hall. Follow me" she said.

Tsuki and Lynette followed Rose to their dining hall where they would indulge themselves to the Argent familys' generosity. As the rest of the night went on, they all sat around the table, eating the delicious food that was prepared as they talked about a number of different subjects such as Saiyaka, the Argent family, Briswater and even the journey that Tsuki and Lynette have been on. It was a night that they could truly relax and let their guard down, something they haven't been able to really do since leaving Crescentia several days ago. It was a nice change of pace during a much needed time. It was a time that they would savor as little did they know, it would be quite some time before they would get another chance like this. As the night drew on and things started to settle down, Tsuki couldn't help but wonder in the back of his mind what the mercenary that Lucas hired had to say. Something was making him uneasy about the situation. He couldn't explain it and he kept shoving those thoughts to the back of his head to prevent needless worry when they didn't know enough yet but he can't seem to shake the uneasiness as it slowly grew and festered with each passing day. He hopes that whatever he's feeling are simply just baseless feelings and nothing else.

To be continued...